A Soul Guardian
by darkroydante
Summary: Cancelled.
1. Prelude: The Winds of Change

The winds of the Seireitei were harsh on that night. That night, when the lives of the entire shinigami were changed.

**Story Composition by: darkroydante and Mr. J**

The callous breeze ripped across dusty roads, spiraling over Seireitei's soundless streets. Tempests shot forward, aiming towards a certain snow white building.

**Plot and related ideas: darkroydante**

Thrusting open the windows, they ignored the presence of the old man within, huddling into a solid silhouette.

**All characters and locations owned by Tite Kubo, o.c.'s and non-cannon ideas owned by darkroydante**

The old man gazed patiently at the image, then his eyes shot wide open at the shadow's face appeared. A voice spoke, power and wisdom emanating from it. The man's clothes said volumes about his status and wealth, both expensive and extravagant. His skin was perfectly tanned, and he was smiling a dark little smile. One smooth hand gripped the hilt of a hidden weapon, while the other hand was fixated holding his communication spell together. His grin didn't reach his icy blue eyes, or match his cold voice. "Good evening to you, Yamamoto-soutaichou."

(--)

"This is such a pain." The words rumbled out, cutting right through an hour of continuous silence, spent between them on the sole purpose of moving forward, to reach their goal. Two pairs of sandals, like waves, rose and fell against layers of sand, marching in perfect rhythm, showing off the casually unity of the twin shadows. The speaker of the pair shrugged off the hood of his dusted robes, letting his temporal eyes adjust to the radiant glow of the surroundings. The newborn sun rose in the east, casting long shadows which trailed their owners sullenly. The second figure kept his hood firmly over his stoic features, blocking out his face from the elements, or recognition.

"Shut up and walk, baka." The words were cold, harsh beyond a gentle scolding, but the first, and taller, took it as such. He chuckled, raging green orbs flickering towards his partner, slightly surprised that the man had even spoken to begin with. The midget was not very talkative.

"Hai, taichou-sama." The second, beneath his hood, scowled murderously, lifting his neck to observe the trail before them. The winding road finally met their destination, off in the distance. "It's such a pain though, to walk all the way to the sou-taichou. I mean, isn't it obnoxious, not to be able to use a shunpo? Do you really think they will sense it?."

(…The presence was near, the thing that had trailed them. More were behind it, far worse things. The darkness knew it would lose, but slowing down the pair was above all else.…)

The shorter of the two remained silent, glaring at the road before them. He looked as if he was blaming the dirt road for his troubles. It was the road's fault for being so long, it was the road's fault they were miles from their destination. Wishing it was possible a stretch of land could screw up a dimensional gate the way his buffoon lieutenant could. It was a miracle the small boy could even make out the dimensional landscape to begin with, as far from the center as they were.

(The shadow was directly behind now, claws outstretched, eyes murderous. It stayed silent, hoping to score an easy kill.)

The tall man continued his rambling, having already assumed he would be talking to himself. "It's been a while since I've visited here. You never did come to the Seireitei, did you? I don't believe so."

(Like a point blank bullet, it launched at them, traveling faster than a human eye could follow.)

With a grunt, the talkative one flung open the left side of his cloak, spinning on the spot. Black splashes of goop rained across his face and cloak, the mess that covered the soft material instantly dissolving, as if lit aflame. Flicking the remaining specks of Hollow blood off of his honed blade, he returned the weapon to its resting place. "Well, that was fun." A grim smile danced around his face, eyes for the first time finding his shorter companion's. He raised a hand and stepped forward, and after a fractural pause, the smaller raised his own hand, bringing the outstretched palms together. The ground beneath them exploded.

"Hell yeah." He watched the reietsu pour outwards, catching several of the approaching hollow. They glared, or whatever hollows did.

(Then, the rest fell upon them, the mission accomplished.)

"Jiresuke-sama? It's not necessary, but our goal is to reach Seireitei immediately. They wouldn't sense us, so...." a grunt slipped past the thousands of black bodies, but the speaker was not identified over the clashing of metal and tearing of skin.

"You just want to do some killing, don't you?"

"Hai, Kenzuki-taichou. Your right. BANKAI!"

A second voice spoke quietly, but the same word, the same promise of doom. "Bankai."

(Mission failed.)

**Author's Notes:**

I'm posting this once, so I don't have to write it every chapter.

1) I do not own Bleach, just the OC charecters and the plot.

2) Please, pretty please, rate and review. Even if you don't want to keep reading, tell me what you thought about the part you read.

3) Please, don't post reviews like: OMG, _____ KILLED _____ AND _______ HAPPENED!!!! It could spoil the story for someone who hasn't read that chapter yet.

4) Kayl is pronounced Kai-el.

5) This story takes plac after the main canon and the three Bleach Movies.


	2. They Appear

Deep within the jungle that was Karakura's shopping district, a certain display had caught the attention of every elementary and middle school girl that passed. The display of plush bunnies glowed from behind a tinted display case, each furry animal smiling innocently at passing children, tempting them to walk closer, to leave with a lighter wallet. Needless to say, the toy was immediately noticed by one of our protagonists, even when she was halfway across the road.

"To buy me a Chappy, or to buy me a Chappy, was that Shakespeare-sama's question Ichigo?" A raven head bounced up to the glass case, dragging along a much taller teenage boy.

"I think the line in question is, To be or not to be? As for you, I chose no." The orange headed male said in his decidedly bored tone of voice, pushing himself and the girl against the glass to let a crown of non-descriptive people pass. Muttering darkly about tourists, he turned his attention back to the girl.

The girl in question wouldn't give this argument up. Not yet anyway. "Awww, but Ichigo, it's so cute! Look at the happy smile! And the adorable fur! B…Besides, don't you think Kon needs a new doll? That lion is getting so beat up."

Ichigo sighed disdainfully, watching little white plush bunnies poison the mind of this hundred year old warrior. It was a rabbit…a freaking rabbit. And not even a real one. It was made of cotton and fluff…and pure evil. He glared at her, holding up two fingers. "One, since when did either of us start caring about Kon? And two, I'm broke." With that, he grabbed her shoulder and lugged her away from the precious bunnies. "C'mon, Rukia, let's get back home and see what Yuzu's cooking."

Rukia paused a moment, letting the argument drop with a sigh and walked besides her 'partner'. Her visits to the human world had decreased in both number and length in the three year span following Ichigo's final victor over Aizen Souske. The rebuilding efforts had drained most of Seireitei's resources, leaving Rukia perpetually trapped in the thirteenth division lieutenant's office. The lack of manpower also lead to an official order that Karakura and its surrounding towns was under the official protection of former Shinigami captains Kurosaki Isshin and Urahara Kisuke as well as Shingami-daikou Kurosaki Ichigo. Needless to say Ichigo was pissed off after not only finding out both his dad and Sandal-hat were captains, but since he was only a substitute, he had to follow their orders. He was going to snap the next time his dad woke him up to deal with a plus soul in that goddamn playground.

A question emerged. Why the hell did everyone die in a playground? And not just any playground, the SAME, damn one every time. He looked up in time to stop himself from running into the front door.

"Oi, Yuzu, Rukia-nee and Ichi-ni are back, we can eat now!" Black haired Kurosaki Karin called over her shoulder, sounding like a starved…person. Quickly, she widened the door's gap for the hungry pair and shooed them to the table. The Kurosaki household remained the same over three years, but the family had changed since Aizen. Both Karin and Yuzu had developed gracefully during the small peace after Aizen's fall and had both become mature young women.(yeah, that does includes Karin) They were still younger than Ichigo had been when he first met Rukia, but they could both see spirits clearly, though neither one had shown enough power to successfully become a shinigami, like their brother.

Kuchiki Rukia had unofficially become the third Kurosaki sister, much to Ichigo's dismay. Her current gigai was made by Urahara to look like an older version of herself. While she hadn't 'grown' more than two inches, she had filled out decently -Ichigo's red face as a testament- and her hair had lengthened slightly. Her soul form however, remained unaffected, as three years passed like nothing for the dead. As for Kurosaki Ichigo, he hadn't grown -thank God- but he now constantly possessed scratches on his face due to a razor. Naturally, when facial hair started growing, and his dad proclaimed how they would grow identical beards, it was all he could do not to immediately swap into his soul form and stab at his face with Zangetsu. Karin hadn't helped by bringing up the 'Awkward Kurosaki Question of the Week': "Would Ichigo's beard be orange?"

With the aroma of hot ramen in the air, the three had hurriedly made their way into the kitchen. On instinct, Ichigo raised his hands in defense, as a shadow appeared in the doorway. However, instead of tackling his orange headed son, Kurosaki Isshin-who hadn't changed at all in three years- tapped Ichigo's shoulder and pointed upstairs. "Ichigo, Rukia-chan, you have a…guest upstairs." The pair glanced at each other and nodded, turning away from their family. Ichigo sighed, still fuggin' starving.

"Rukia, you don't leave for another two days, right?" Ichigo's voice grated as he held a gaze to the stairs.

"Hai." She near-whispered and Ichigo gulped, fingering the eyeholes of his substitute badge gently. They walked upstairs slowly, trying to quiet their footsteps on the rickety floorboard..

Finally, outside of Ichigo's room the 'guests' stood. "Abari-fukutaichou and Kuchiki-taichou." Rukia winced as she heard Ichigo's voice harden slightly. Aside from herself, he had not seen hide or hair of any shinigami since he blacked out after killing Aizen. Yamamoto had ordered him to be taken back home and left. Urahara had even been given threatening orders not to let him back into the Seireitei. Only Rukia was allowed to visit, on the grounds she would say nothing about Seireitei's business.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya inclined his head briefly, stunned by his cold yet respectful tone.

'And suddenly, they've come back in his life.' Rukia self-narrated, not even greeting her brother, or his lieutenant.

Renji had obviously been ordered not to say a word. His hair had been cut short and his expensive goggles permanently trashed, but his face was inclined, features unreadable. Calm, even.

"Can I help you, Kuchiki-sama? Please say no." Ichigo contained his gruff tones, looking the captain straight in the eye, which the noble could not return.

"Kurosaki, your presence has been requested back in the Seireitei…."

"I refuse." Ichigo cut him off, pointing a finger back out the window. "get the hell out."

"…even if it means force." Byakuya finished with an edge on his voice, growing respect for the young Kurosaki vanishing within the instant. He reached out to grip Ichigo's wrist tightly, knowing he had a major advantage since Ichigo was in a human body. Ichigo snorted at him, bringing up two fingers, pointing them at the Kuchiki like a gun.

"Hado 4, White Lightning." Byakuya almost leaped sideways, remembering at the last second that Ichigo still was in his body. However, instinct was enough to release his grip, and Ichigo slapped away the noble's fingers. "What are we going to Seireitei for?" Ichigo continued, smirking for the first time since walking up the stairs.

"Yamamoto requests your attendance at an all-shinigami meeting, scheduled for tomorrow morning at the captain's hall."

"And this involves myself…how?" Ichigo sneered at the noble coldly, heart pounding. The smell of Yuzu's cooking had evaporated, tension thickening the air instead.

Byakuya stared at the boy coldly, his eyes on the teen's representative badge "I do not know details. It does involve however, two rouge shinigami, our Zanpakuto, and Ichimaru Gin."

(--)

Five minutes later, Ichigo's form came lumbering into the kitchen, seating itself with a disgruntled sigh, picking up a pair of chopsticks.

"KON?" The three Kurosaki's exclaimed as one, and the mod soul snorted, grabbing at Yuzu's breakfast. "Rukia-nee's gigai is in Ichigo's room, she said to either leave it, or take it to Urahara-san's shop."

(--)

--Days earlier—

The overlarge stone-colored battle axe plummeted towards the hardened earth, impaling itself into the ground with a sudden 'crunch' noise. Dirt and dust exploded out from the impact site, bits of the earth raining around the combatants. A long red line slithered down the hand, from finger to wrist, opening a small stream of the sticky life source. The deep sword's blood condensed into droplets, raining downward and staining the dead, dusty land. Jidanbo, the owner of both axe and injury, snarled at the microscopic boy standing before him as he nursed his throbbing wound. The child made no vocal reaction to the guard's feral snarls, but stood silently, stroking the porcelain mask adorning his features. Black and yellow hollow eyes bore a hole into the axe bigger than he, but the rest of his stone expression was covered by a similar granite painted mask. Thick thatches of blonde straw hair stuck themselves upright, as if avoiding the boy's secondary face. His brown cloak billowed slightly behind him, finishing off his regal look.

"If only you were taller, right punk?" The guard got in one scathing remark, sneering at his midget assailant, while secretly drawing a second weapon.

The miniature boy's tone was chillier than his hidden death glare, frost forming around his words. He raised his right hand, index digit pointed at the wounded giant's chest. "Hado 1, Sho." With a silent click, reietsu flared to life around his finger and arched forward like an invisible weight. The giant guard was lifted off his feet, his back smashing against the stone door as he bore into it via the kido. He fell forward, dull eyes meeting the ground far below him. The masked child withdrew the folds of his dusty, brown cloak, revealing a startling bleached white set of shinigami robes as well as the hilt of a glittering sword on his right side. Drawing and twirling the hilt of the naked weapon experimentally, he stepped onto the big man's shoulder with casual motions. The katana was unceremoniously raised to an execution position above the guard's neck. Seconds before the zanpakuto dropped, he was halted.

"Ryou, hold." Sheathing the weapon without a thought, the swordsman popped the digits of his left hand, stepping down from the giant's artery. "He doesn't need to die Ry-chan, just open the door for us." The masked one, Ryou, nodded silently and pointed at the guard again. The Hado 1 spell kicked up silently, slamming the uncouncous giant in the ribs and sent him sailing vertically, landing several yards from the door he guarded. The boy made no sounds as he began to kick a small handhold into the dusty ground. Gathering a strong grip, he twitched his arm muscles and the gate to the inner heaven rose. The self-imposed mute turned to face his other, impassive under the great door's weight. He made a motion with his head and neck, eyes following the taller traveler as the taller man walked up to the gate, ducking under the door.

The identically clothed, but much taller soul took in his first view of the Seireitei, before his vision was clouded with black. He grinned and let out bated breath.

Surrounding the pair at every conceivable angle was a massive army of silent, black clothed warriors. Each member had drawn and was currently pointing a very sharp, very pointy weapon at the brown cloaked twins, who stuck out in the sea of jet black clothes. The taller man lowered his hood, shaking out his wild green hair. "Wow, umm…." breaking the silence, he glanced around, a bewildered but amused expression crossing his calm features. "I'm gonna go ahead with, 'holy fuck?'"

"Ryoka!" An irritating voice stung the pair's ears, and Squad 2's Captain blinked into existence, her expression colder than Ryou's mask. "I am the Captain of Squad Two, Soifon-taic…" She was cut off.

"Ahhh, shinigami-san. A pleasure this is indeed."

Cut off as well as pissed off. She could barely control her facial tick. And with very good reason. The man before her talked like the spawn of Ichimaru and Urahara. The green haired intruder continued. "I guess this would be our welcoming party. It's a bit small, but it will do for now." He glanced around at the confused guards, pulling a small cup and a jug out from beneath his robes. Grinning maniacally, he poured himself a cup of the liquid and downed it, pouring a second.

"Sake!" He explained happily, downing his thir… fou…sixth cup. "You want any, chibi-taichou?"

Less than ten sentences into this conversation and Soifon was already resisting her urge to draw Suzumebachi. Instead, she tried the less violent approach. "Hold your tongue ryoka, or I'll have my squad kill you where you stand." Ok, it was slightly less violent.

"Your short, **and** annoying." The green headed man shook his head and sighed, patting her head mockingly. The captain reigned in her temper for the half second to find the problem with the picture.

'He was nowhere within arm-length before. He was standing over by the kid.' She eyed his withdrawn hand menacingly, but her worry grew into a crescendo. 'He's using shunpo?' As a test, she drew her weapon and stabbed forward, hitting empty air. Her opponent was back in his original spot with his blond partner, and had taken his skae bottle back from the kid, who hadn't said one word the entire exchange. Or indeed, moved, the gates still raised upward with one hand. He looked almost bored beneath his pale hollow mask.

"Wait, what? …Hollow" She breathed loudly, locking eyes with the silent one's forehead, searching for his downcast eyes. 'Kurosaki? No, he's much to short.'

"So, you're short, annoying, and so _frickin'_**(A/N: zetta!!!)** slow." Green sighed in the background, following the midget captain's gaze to his midget partner. Why was everyone around him so short again? Oh yeah, he was just taller, never a bad thing. "Alright then, allow me to introduce us." He began to use large hand gestures, as one would to inform a slow child. "My name is Kenzuki Kayl. Your main competition for the world's shortest person over here is Jiresuke Ryou. We're here to talk with Squad One-taichou." He paused, then blinked curiously, looking around. "Don't worry about it though, we'll be in touch, eventually. Your sou-taichou will find us when he needs to." Kayl ended his monologue and nodded to Ryou, who took a minute step into the Seireitei and released the gate. The magnificent stone slab dropped, well….like a rock and shook the ground around it. "Ryou, we're gone."

On the word 'we're', they both vanished from sight, slipping right past the horde of shinigami, who all blinked in confusion simultaneously. Some of their black clothes ruffled gently in the wind, pointing out the intruder's direction. Soifon, however, stood stock still, her face unusually wide with surprise and….fear? Her eyes widened and her hands clenched and uncurled repeatedly.

"What the hell?"

(---)

"Kayl-taichou?" The voice reverberated along the stone walls, as two men claimed their own spots for bedding. By sheer coincidence, the mysterious pair had chosen to hide out in the same cave where Kurosaki Ichigo had learned his bankai. The place was rather spacious, with rocks being next to the sole landscape feature. Near the back of the stone dome, where the pair was now taking up residence, sat a self-heated pool. It was a welcomed sight for the travelers, the warm air wafting from the waters was already relaxing their weary bodies and minds.

Maybe that last part only applied to Kayl, Ryou didn't do the 'relax' thing.

"Hmmm?" Kayl returned the question with his own, slipping off his dust cloak and shinigami robes without a second thought. Knowing Ryou, he would have picked a dark corner to hide in, but still facing the cave's entrance. He would say something like 'Hard to detect, easy to defend.'

The language of the duty-obsessive guard was rather predicable at the best of times.

"Way you acted with the shinigami." Ryou's monotone continued as Kayl slid into the water, releasing a happy sigh. "You think they'll be worse to you, than otherwise?" The boy pushed back into the crevice, before stretching his arm and tossing the bleached white mask across the room, shattering it. The pieces released individual hissing noises before dissolving into the floor.

Kayl watched the mask fall and grinned, running a hand through his grass head. "Ryou, let me tell you some'in. The reason we originally came here wasn't to enlist shinigami aid." In the darkness, Ryou cocked his head, but listened on.

"We came here to keep track of the news, basically. If the king's lookin' for us, this would be the first place he'd check."

Ryou interjected. "Yes, but he wouldn't tell the shinigami. He would use North Guard, have them sneak 'n look for us. Shinigami won't be 'gainst us yet."

Kayl smirked. "Exactly my point, Ry-kun. That's the basis of my plan." Ryou ignored the nickname, cocking his head inquisitively, even thought Kayl couldn't see him. Force of habit.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting to run into a captain at the gate." Kayl continued, his voice edged. "That part was all improvisation. But, it doesn't change the rest of my new plan." He paused dramatically, skimming his wrinkling leather-like skin across the water's surface. "We're gonna come out of hiding early. We're gonna have a talk with Yamamato-sou taichou, see which side he'll play for."

Ryou sucked in breath as he interjected, "If we alert him the sou-taichou, the king will know where we are."

"Yep. We have no ties to this place, we can leave whenever. If we can convince Yama to lend us some help, sweet. If not, oh damn, we'll leave." The green eyes flashed brightly, he stretched and began to towel himself off with a blanket they had kept in a hidden pack.

"But, I've become more interested in two weapons than the news at any rate."

Ryou blinked. "Weapons, Kenzuki-sama?"

Kayl's maniacal grin was in place. "Yep. Two of 'em. First, the 3 broken pieces of the Kuro-luna."

Ryou almost slipped out of his hole in surprise. "The second king's blade? Why? It's near forbidden for you to go near it now."

"If Gin can get it, the king can't." Kayl explained simply. "Better have him use it than have the King destroy it."

"The other?" Ryou processed the new information quietly, the scowl on his face hidden like the rest of him. Kayl however, could guess pretty accurately what the young man's face was portraying.

The taller man smiled thinly as he changed back into his dirty black shinigami robes. "The other weapon, you mean?"

Ryou was silent.

"You should be able to guess by now, Ry-kun. The other weapon is one of the only people alive who could vaporize most souls with his reietsu alone."

"People who could do it?" Ryou's forehead scrunched up in thought, and he ran a couple fingers through his messy blond locks.

Kayl paused to do some simple counting. "Maybe, six or seven at the most."

"We get him?" Ryou said quietly, thinking the broken plan over. Kayl shrugged.

"I dunno, he was friendly with the Seireitei, but you know the connection was cut three years ago."

"Could use Gin?"

Kayl's expression lit up, and he clapped, doing a little dance. "Bingo, Ry-kun. That's my card as well. Our only other option would be to capture that Kuchiki lass and force Ichigo-kun to 'help' us."

Ryou sighed, closing his eyes. They sprang open again a second later. "Kayl, visitors."

"Oh, really now?" He laughed, completely at easy with the hostile company approaching. "One point to Yama-kun then. Ryou, let's go."


	3. Confusion is Caused

The four shinigami stayed relatively quiet during their trip to the Kuchiki Mansion. Their footsteps were quiet, but amplified by the emptiness of the void they traveled in. To break the distilled silence, Renji had attempted to briefly reconnect with the orange haired vizard, but Ichigo's nearly unbreakable silence had greatly discouraged him.

"So, Ichigo. How's everything in the human world?" The lieutenant began, running a hand through his shortened red hair. No longer was he the pineapple, with only a small red fuzz patch kept him separated from pachinko-head Ikkaku.

Ichigo's hard mask stayed in place, his scowl increasing if at all possible. "Shut up, Abari." Kurosaki's tone wasn't the powerful sound Renji had come to know from him. Even back when the two were bitter rivals, Ichigo's voice was full of his raw emotions and intense power. Now, his tone was dead, his eyes frozen with hatred. And boy did Zangetsu look sharp.

Byakuya, as per his self-imposed silence, said nothing to reprimand either shinigami. He did however, make a mental note of Ichigo's harsh attitude. The Kuchiki prince was actually quite surprised to meet this new side of Ichigo, never expecting to hear the orange haired representative so withdrawn.

"Ichigo!" Rukia, however, felt no need to quell her words towards her partner. "There is no need to act this way, Renji is your friend and comrade." Although Rukia could, in fact, partially understand Ichigo's behavior, she did not condone it. He had lost contact with Seireitei, to regain it so suddenly was shocking. Ichigo went on ignoring the group, his mind dead set on Ichimaru Gin.

"Ichigo?" Renji tried again, his words softer, pleading with the substitute teenager. Ichigo made no comment, but he did let his dark chocolate eyes drift over to each of his old war friends for an instant. Ex-war friends, save Rukia, at this point.

"**Now we're talkin' king." **Ichigo said nothing, but on this third attempt at conversation, he cracked the tiniest of smiles only his mind could see. Inside his mind, a dark laugh erupted, shaking the solid buildings.

(At the same time)

"This is the captain of Squad One, Yamamoto-sou taichou. Reporting to all officers of the Seireitei. The two ryoka Soifon-taichou encountered earlier have been apprehended. Their motives were deemed illicit and their existence a threat to our current peace. They were put to death via sword this morning, after a meeting of both the captains and the Central 46. The emergency status has been lifted, please return to your regular stations."

(--)

One of the more infamous parts of the Seireitei was the dreaded White Tower. This bleached stone column had become famous for holding many death row prisoners. The actual use of the tower had become somewhat limited over the last hundred years, but Shinigami were reminded of its existence recently due to Kuchiki Rukia's execution. Even in times of peace, the place was kept under strict scrutiny.

Like the tower, their garb was white.

Such a dreary, hopeless color, white.

They sat hunched over, as far away from the room's only door as a circular wall would allow. They were still, and silent, eyes downcast, breath withheld. The two both wore white robes, with contrasting red collars tightening around their necks. They held almost no presence with the outside world spending, hiding out inside their minds. The pull of the soul stone was heavy in their quarters. As such, more complex life functions faded away, until they were left with the simplest aspects of the life after death.

They were cursed with hearing. The noises of the outside world; each sound that drifted into their heavily guarded room resonated in their minds like gunshots. When the world was quiet, their minds were filled with the buzzing, the sound of the soul stone as it worked its evil power, eating away at their reietsu.

Finally, after what seemed like another passing decade. "How…." A sudden, mangled cough, to give life back to vocal cords. "How long have we been in here?"

The other voice was composed, but also ragged due to the lengthy period of silence. "About.. 4 days, maybe extra."

The first chuckled coldly, sounding like steel nails against a chalkboard, as he brought his head up. His green hair dangled down in an erratic pattern. Unfocused emerald orbs drifted around the room, then to the door.

"Anytime now."

(5 days ago- The Cave)

As the ryoka exited the cave, the sun lowered, casting long shadows over the rocky landscape. As the orb dropped down behind the Seireitei, it cast a final light over the mountainous range briefly illuminating the group.

During the twenty seconds of light provided by the sun, nobody spoke. Within that time, Kayl and Ryou had each located and memorized the positions of the Shinigami Captains and Lieutenants. Standing before them was the Captain and Assistant Captain of the First Squad, with the various other divisions camped out in hard to see areas. With the exception of the Captain and Lieutenant of Divisions 4 and 12, all of the Shinigami's high officers were present. Stalwart Soifon-taichou and her lazy lieutenant from the second, Izuru-taichou and Satome Kiku-fukutaichou of Squad Three. Squad Five was represented by Kaede-fukutaichou and one of the Gotie's youngest captains, none other than the sweet little Hinamori Momo.

Byakuya and Renji, before their departure to the human world, Squad Seven's officers, as well as Kyoraku and Nanao Ise from the Eighth. Making their debut, the newest Captain and Lieutenant, Hisagi Shuhei and Minoru Hikari of Squad Nine. Ten was represented by the taller-by-two-inches Hitsugaya-taichou and his bubbly lieutenant. Zaraki loomed over the entire group, his battered zanpakuto slung over one shoulder, a lieutenant on the other; Yachiru-fukutaichou gazing curiously at the two ryoka. And finally, the Captain of Squad Thirteen, Ukitake Jushiro, stationed on Yamamoto's right.

"You know, Ryou," Kayl interlocked his fingers behind his skull, glancing down, "if we really wanted to annihilate the Seireitei, what would the easiest method be?"

Ryou's unpleasantly cold and swift mind churned out options for about two slow breaths. "Silent assassination of the Council of 46, followed by a fell strike at the captains?"

Kayl broke into a smile at the shocked captain's expressions. The greenhorns in particular wore priceless looks. "And what would be the easiest way to kill all the captains?"

Yamamoto was about to speak, possible to issue a pompous threat of 'silence or death', but Ryou beat him to the punch. "Gathering them together, then unleashing every bit of a Menos Grande's reietsu into a kamikaze Hado strike, possibly a 99, then praying to the deity of your choosing that it doesn't backfire on said caster?"

Kayl laughed again. "You captains need to work on your crisis plans. This was obviously not the best idea, gathering all the fighting Captains for two ryoka who could shunpo faster than Soifon-taichou can follow." He grinned at her in a leering fashion, "Personally, I would put little to no weight on her lackluster abilities."

The aging Captain Commander growled menacingly for silence. "What do you worthless ryoka want, breaking into the Seireitei like this?"

Kayl pretended to think. "Well, Old Man, ya'see….."

(Present evening)

Ichigo sat, Zangetsu on his back, against the base of a large tree, gazing up at the sky.

'He looks so peaceful…' The thoughts of a small violet-eyes shinigami drifted with her steps, until she was standing next to her partner. He didn't look away from the sky. "I won't help them." He spoke at last, and she nodded. "I'm getting Ichimaru for me, not them."

Rukia's mouth arched, her fingers playing with the tips of his uniquely colored hair. He grinned, looking every bit the part of his unofficial titles: Hero of the Aizen Rebellion, the Defender of Seireitei, and (her personal favorite) the Substitute Strawberry. Of course, he knew not of his titles, she had never been able to speak of Seireitei to him, as ordained by the Central 46.

She frowned, following his gaze to the stars. The Central 46, or rather new, Central 46, had been elected during their final attack on Aizen. As told by Yamamoto, they had been very flexible with the Gotei, even going so far as to consider several radical promotions, one of the candidates being Ichigo, vizard and all. But then, suddenly, they reversed all their old decisions and reverted to a stuffy, cold ruling council, The Gotei, didn't like it, but they had no evidence to convict anyone.

There wasn't even a real crime.

And now, to break another taboo, two of the King's Guard had deserted, and fled to the Seireitei. Only to be executed on the spot. That was another bet going around, the manner of their deaths. It was common knowledge that the King's Guard was made up of only Lieutenant and above individuals, not all of them coming from the Gotei. The exact number and nature of the group was unknown, as was the location of the Royal Dimension, or even who the current king was.

Nevertheless, two Renji-or-above level guards had been dispatched without a fight, and the Gotei called for a meeting in light of the events.

'What is going on?' Rukia asked herself, lowering her gaze to meet the closed eyes of a slumbering Ichigo. She smiled.

'Baka.'

(Several Hours Later)

The door swung ajar with the slightest of noise. Sneaking through the opening, a miniature shadow snuck across the hardwood flooring. The room was glowed as she pulled back the old fashioned curtains, letting the bright light rush in. She grinned, turning to the bed. Muscles tensing, the watched his breathing, counting down seconds. In a pre-decided instant, she sprung forward, onto the sleeping lump. Instead of him yelling, however, Rukia ended up doing the honors, as Ichigo miraculously woke up in time to grab her arms and flip both bodies over. Rukia slowly opened her eyes, to meet the vicious orange glow of hair.

"Dammit Ichigo!" She huffed, as he stood, chuckling. "How long did you know?" She asked curiously, sitting up from her earlier position. He grinned.

"When you opened the door." The Kuchiki Princess muttered unmentionable phrases under her breath as they exited the room.

Ichigo could have sworn he heard 'razor' and 'hair dye'. He grinned, grabbing Zangetsu before he shut the door. "When's the meeting?" He questioned, plopping down in the kitchen for breakfast. The Kuchiki Mansion was enormous, and the kitchen was no exception. Ornate decorations and carvings lined the walls, impressive artwork dawning the walls themselves. Nothing remotely bunny related in sight, much to his shock. Damn bunnies from hell.

Rukia looked up from her food.(Ignore regal mannerisms and cuisine. One: she doesn't care, and two: I don't know any. They're eating eggs and toast, dammit, that's final.) "In about an hour. Ni-sama left already, he told us to just show up at Squad One in one hour's time for the meeting."

Ichigo nodded absently, watching the servants busy themselves with the chores, with the occasional 'Good morning, Kuchiki-sama!" He watched her strike up a conversation with a servant, staring a hole in the table, bored as hell.

(--)

The door opened, and black entered the white room. And red, big, bright red An odd sight, these colors after five days of the purest white. A second entered after, wearing the familiar white as well as the new black. The newcomers helped the prisoners to their feet, leading them out of the room. Instantly, the colors destroyed them. Their eyes were bombarded, as well as their senses. The feeling of reietsu flooded them, it was like the pins and needles in their bodies disappeared.

"You have been given an hour to prepare yourselves. Your gear has been stored within this room. After the hour, you will be taken to Squad One. The sou-taichou will decide your fates there. The two nodded, letting themselves be led into another room. "Your hour starts, do not attempt to leave before then." Byakuya's sickeningly cold voice commanded, and the door shut.

"You alright Ryou?" The taller guard said, working the stiffness out of his muscles. He stripped out of the prison clothes and donned his regular attire. The shinigami outfit he wore was Hichigo to the regular uniform's Ichigo. Black and white reversed. Next, he slipped on his specialized haori, again reversed. The only thing inscribed into the shirt was the kanji for 'North' on the left shoulder, as well as an artistic drawing of a vicious looking tiger on the back. He draped his brown cloak over other shoulder, turning to his partner.

Ryou had removed his signature white mask, setting it on the floor then proceeded with a ritual similar to Kayl. White robes, black cloak. The kanji for 'South' was written in white on his shoulder, and the picture on his robes was a Dragon's head. By the time they finished this three minute metamorphosis, the reietsu in the air had all but diminished. Ryou grunted and asked a question of his own.

"Where are our zanpakuto?"

Kayl shrugged, reaching into a pocket of his haori. With a delighted noise, he pulled out his jug of sake and downed it all. He purred like a cat with milk and awnsered. "You honestly think they'd let us keep them? I'm hoping Yama-sou keeps his word to us. The last thing I want to do is beat back the rest 'o the King's Guard."

Under the pale hollow mask he wore, Ryou's golden pupils darted to his partner's form. He frowned, starting up his reietsu sensing powers. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "Two guards on our door, occasional patrol, captains and lieutenants at a meeting."

Kayl's eyes lit up, and he resisted the urge to his happy dance. "Really? They're already together. This'll be way too easy." He snapped his fingers in a commanding fashion. "GO, my all powerful super-midget. Destroy!"

Ryou rolled his eyes again, marching over to a section of the wall. With a lightning quick movement, a black light cut through the air and vanished. After a quarter-second reserved for focusing, he sprung up on his toes and hopped three feet straight into the air.. With silence as his battle yell, he spun around and slammed a sandaled foot into the wood, splitting it from the rest of the wall instantly. The shattered wood, traveling at about twelve-bajillion and two miles per hour, rocketed forward, taking several rows of walls with it. This gave the guards a perfect view of the Captain's room, which they had expected.

Kuchiki Byakuya, who had, in his perfect-ness, sensed the missile coming, shunpoed out of harm's way. His lieutenant, slightly slower in the sensing department, had not moved in time. The guards casually walked through the holes in the walls, Kayl admiring Ryou's handi-….foot-work. They glanced around the captain's chamber, as Kira and Hinamori-taichous attempted to dislodge their friend from his painful looking position between splintered walls.

During the moments of awkward silence, Kayl calmly examined his fingernails for dirt and Ryou…..did nothing. Perhaps he breathed once or so. Soi Fon was the first to speak up, Kayl noted, after all the available captains circled the pair, blades out. "And just what do you two think you were doing?" She asked venomously, glaring at Kayl's hair. The guard was looking at the ceiling, whistling innocently. Ryou snorted, probably the first noise any of the gathered shinigami had ever heard him make.

He jabbed his thumb upwards, to his much taller partner. "Idiot wanted a flashy entrance." Exasperated sweat beaded on almost every captain's forehead. Yamamoto, through sheer discipline, controlled his urge to roll his eyes. Zaraki was laughing uproariously, hunched over and slapping at his knees. Kuchiki Clan members repelled all forms of perspiration, so Byakuya was exempt from any nonverbal communication. Kayl shrugged, and was about to being speaking when he was interrupted.

The massive double doors slammed open.

A roar of reietsu followed, and the flutter of a black cloak. "Sorry we're late." The voice huffed, "Rukia lost track of time, and I fell asleep." And there they stood in glory, Kuchiki Rukia, red-faced from being carried, and Ichigo, whose bankai's reietsu radiated off him like heat from the sun. He looked around bemused, and reverted to shikai, slinging the behemoth blade over his shoulder. "The hell happened here?" His gaze fell on the broken wall, the crushed Abari, the still chuckling Kenpachi. Ichigo sighed, slamming his palm into his face. "Jeeze, man."

Kayl glanced over at the orange headed substitute and grinned, waving him over. He was either stupid or brave, as the circle of blades never wavered, keeping him and his partner trapped. The captains didn't even acknowledge Kurosaki, their attention tied to the current problem. "Ryou!" He barked the name, and the child reacted.

The boy's form flashed white, and his golden eyes hardened beneath the hollow mask. The swords did not create a sound as they left their sheaths, but the metal managed to glow savagely in the dim light. With a deft but lightning quick motion, he twirled the blades and revolved once, batting away all zanpakuto points. The captains made several different moves of retaliation, but their opportunity ended abruptly. Kayl had, in the second Ryou swung, flipped himself into the air and landed silently next to the Kurosaki boy. Raising an elbow, he rested himself on Ichigo's shoulder, grinning. "So, we gonna start this meeting, or what? I got stuff to say, and not a lot of time to say it."

Ichigo stiffened at the contact, eyeing the green haired man nervously. Kayl spun on his heel with an elaborate flourish, stealing Zangetsu off the substitute's as he did. Ichigo swore in shock, grasping at his blade. Kayl took the weapon in both hands, examining it. With a careless shrug, he tossed the blade upwards, much to everyone's surprise. Another shock: (my this was becoming an exiting day) a shape blurred into vision, grabbing the black cleaver in mid air as it began its earthly descent. The captains, in shock once again, turned around to confirm their prisoner was in his rightful spot. He wasn't, of course. Ryou gripped the blade by the thick grip, testing the obnoxious weight. Kayl shrugged at the captain's expressions. "Don't underestimate us." Ryou, as if in silent agreement, flipped the weapon over in his small hands, spinning the weapon by the cloth. The blade hummed as it spun in its vicious cycle, the air around it burning off from sheer reietsu.

The small boy, whom the captains had placed him at about Hitsugaya's height,(Toshiro himself had pegged the boy as shorter for ego purposes) nodded, finishing his mysteries examination and released the weapon in full swing. Ichigo's shocked expression remained etched on his face, even as he caught the sharp object that was hurtling towards him at about 100 miles per hour. Beneath his mask, Ryou smirked. Kayl chuckled. Yamamoto sighed resignedly.


	4. Filler the First

Welcome to a filler chapter. To make this feel more like a season of Bleach (and to piss you all off) I've created mini stories that will hopefully amuse you. You don't need to read any of the chapters marked 'filler' to finish the main story, but some filler episodes will have extra information, or parts of a backstory. So, enjoy, or skip. But please, don't forget to review.

Thanks.

(1)

It was now or never, the final showdown, the clash between the two titans. Both fighters were beat up and bloodied, breath coming out in heavy gasps. Gin stood, with his foot planted into Kayl's ribs, Shinso held posed to kill. Kayl, bleeding severely, with one eye swollen shut, took a deep breath. Gin chuckled quietly, thrusting the blade forward. It sunk into flesh, piercing Kayl's heart quickly. And then the sky flashed white, signaling the start of the madness.

Kayl kicked Gin off of him and stood, stretching his limbs, blatantly ignoring the weapon in his chest. He took a bottle of sake and chugged it wolfishly. Ryou appeared from the sidelines to offer some words.

"Hey, Kayl, you can't drink that outside, you'll end up in jail! And not the good jail like on ciemax, the bad jail."

"Put it away and get back to fighting, Kayl. You, uhhh, don't wan't to break the laws." Ichigo hollered off the sidelines, busy dealing with his own hoard of hollows.

Kael grinned in a superior manner as he spoke. "I can do whatever I want. Watch this." With a yank, he heaved Shinso out of his chest and did a little dance with the bloodied blade.

"Ohhh, now you're just being crazy!" Ryou groaned, slamming his palm into his face, shaking his head dejectedly.

Gin's mouth hung open, but he finally managed to speak.

"Hey, you can't keep living, it's against the laws of reality!" He pointed at the dagger-sword. "Gimme my sword so I can kill you!"

Kayl grinned tossing the sword behind him as he shook a finger, like one would to a naughty child. "Ahh ahh ahh. Can't stab me!"

**insert awesome music **

Kael began to dance around Hueco Mundo in the stupidest fashion, ignoring the bleeding hole in his chest. Everyone else seemed shocked by the music, even the hollows stopped to watch the dance.

"Can't stab me!"

"Ju..Ju..Ju..Just like the bad guy, from Bleach Season 2, I've got diplomatic immunity, so Aizen, you can't sue! I can burn your paperwork, even blow up all the streets! I can riot 'n loot and not give a hoot, and touch your sister's tit! Holy shit, she's still flat!"

Rukia screamed venomous, inappropriate phrases, while Byakuya and Ichigo shot death glares at Kayl. Grabbing their weapons, they darted at him, attempting to stab him simultaneously. Kayl laughed and jumped into the air laying flat on the ground….air.

"Can't stab me!"

Gin continued to look upwards with the rest of them, stunned. "What in God's name is he doing?"

Ryou paused in thought, before shrugging. "I believe that's the worm."

Kayl grinned, landing again. In time for the next verse. "Stop, Kayl time! I'm a big shot, there's no doubt. I'll light a fire and pee it out. Don't like it, kiss my rump, just for a minute, let's all do the bump!"

Seemingly, as if controlled by the powers of God himself, everyone within distance of the green haired shinigami began to dance exactly like him in his crazy fashion. Only Ryou and Ichigo were spared this torment, and they took the chance to mock everyone else.

"Can't stab me!" Kayl repeated again, grinning like an idiot. Yeah, do the Shinigami bump! Can't stab me!"

"I'm Presidential Kayl, the girls know I'm hot! Don't care if you're handicap, I'll still park in your spot!"

(flashback)

Tousen-taichou got out of his old and badly painted car to stare(blindly) ahead of him. In his normally reserved parking space was a shiny new black Mitsubishi. Kayl stood next to it, smiling. The captain growled. "That spot is reserved for handicapped people, you meany!" Kayl grinned, grabbed Tousen's neck and shunpo'd them to the top of the Sears tower flinging him off.

(normal time)

"I've been around the world, from Karakura to 'reitei. Its Kayl go, Kayl what up, say Kayl, yo Kayl. Let's see Ryou rap this way! Holy crap that was a mouthful!" Ryou shook his head, looking away from his partner. "I don't do 'rap.'

Kael looked around the bloodied, confused battlefield and laughed uproariously. With a quick step, he was standing next to Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, who were surrounded by hollows. He looked at the large-chested vice-captain and winked. "Except for you, you can touch me."

Everyone looked at him blankly. Ichigo cleared his throat. "Kayl, wasn't the line, 'Can't stab me?'

Kayl shrugged and looked back at the lieutenant. "Who cares? She can still touch me!"

(2)

Around 7:00 PM, in the woods south of Karakura, the wildlife stirred. Birds flew off hastily, unsettled deer scuttled off into the green, and smaller furry creatures hid themselves in their burrows. At about 7:02 PM, the uneasy forest silence was shattered.

"PARTY" That obnoxious, dead-waking, ear-shattering cry came from the suddenly appearing form of Kenzuki Kayl. The sounds of his shunpo were echoed about twenty-something times as many other black and white robed shinigami filled the woods.

So, go ahead and ask: "Why are the shinigami in the Karakura woods? What the hell is Kayl planning?" Well, the green haired rouge had suckered….I mean 'encouraged' Yamamoto-sou taichou into a massive holiday for the upper ranks of the Gotei 13. The cocky swordsman gave the forest a once-over look and smirked, pulling out his signature sake jug. Draining it, he struggled briefly with the idea to go and raid Matsumoto's supply, but decided against it for a while.

"Ryou?" He questioned the air offhandedly and was given an instant reply by the body that morphed into existence on his left. Ryou was a stark contrast to Kayl, about 4'10 to the other's 6'3. Kayl's calm green irises and relaxed expression differed from Ryou's hollow colored eyes and perpetually tensed muscles. His face was hidden by a pure white hollow mask, shaped to look like an overgrown lizard's skull.(INFORMATION NOT FOUND IN MAIN STORY YET!!!!!! Aren't you lucky?) The pair wore matching robes, white robes like the arrancar, as well as black versions of a captain's haori. The boy's words were soft and clipped, not heard by anyone else.

"Hai, Kayl-taichou?" For a boy barely tall enough to press the buttons on a vending machine, he radiated power. Maybe it was the swords strapped to his body, maybe it was the mask, or the creepy eyes. But for the longest time, the boy had scared most of the gathered shinigami. And then they had seen his released zanpakuto and proceeded to shit themselves. At least, he had been the residential badass, until the people had seen under his hollow mask. Now he was pitied by all the male shinigami while the women tried to take off his mask and glomp him. It was pathetic, in some respects.

Kayl sighed, and gave orders to his partner. "Get the lieutenants to set up camp. I'll talk with the captains."

"Hai." The child vanished again, and Kayl took his time watching the shinigami adapt to the wilderness. He grinned wickedly once again while popping his knuckles, setting off to find Matsumoto and her sake.

(--)

Ichigo shook his head in bewilderment, watching the activity in the woods. He had gone camping many times as a kid, and could honestly say he had never expected a large group of sword-wielding dead people to spend a weekend in these conditions. Kayl's ideas were very good, but a bit extreme. As a joke, he had instructed Ryou to give instructions tot eh shinigami, but not tell them exactly how to accomplish their jobs.

In one corner, weighing in around 160 pounds, Yamamoto-sou taichou. In the other corner, weighing in at around thirty pounds, a pile of wood. The old man huffed, bringing his weapon out of cane form. Drawing the zanpakuto, the old man eyed the tinder, speaking his words carefully. "Ryujin Jakka."

Ichigo's eyes widened until they could have jumped out of his skull. "Oh sh…………………………………………………………………………."

(--)

After the forest fires had been put out and most of the Seireitei's elite fighters had been treated for what Kayl called 'fifth degree burns' Ryou had been able to salvage the rest of the evening an finished setting up camp, which included about twenty or so tents and six fires. Meals were cooked by the lieutenants after they had been assured the sou-taichou wouldn't try to 'help.'

Ichigo, the two guards, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, and Kyoraku-taichous all shared one fire, resting on tree stumps, casually roasting 'hotdogs'. The orange headed substitute had been forced to pick up more food after a certain inferno had wiped out their previous supply.

From the corner of his eye, the Kurosaki male was able to see Rukia with her brother. Byakuya was sitting regally upon some kind of wooden chair. He had instructed some servants to fetch some 'necessary supplies' which involved Ryou setting up two mammoth tents for the Kuchiki nobles and several other personal belongings. He also refused to let the foul smelling bug spray anywhere near his person, using the petals of Senbonzakura to kill off any attacking insects. Judging by the pile of the dead, he was doing a pretty good job.

Turning back to his own group, he let out a curse. His hotdog, which had been roasting over the campfire, was currently being consumed by a disgruntled looking midget guard, who was watching a fight. Kayl had gotten drunk, and challenged Hitsugaya to a duel, which was currently destroying most of the non-charred forest. Shunsui was drunk(er), and Ukitake was watching the duel nervously. Both fighters were standing several yards apart, not moving. It wasn't even a, 'moving so fast you can't see them', they really weren't moving.

A front was created between the two fighters, a solid line of force. On Hitsugaya's side of the line, shards of snow and ice smashed into the center. Kayl's powers were ripping leaves and branches off the trees, the winds howling and spinning at near hundred mile speeds. The two shinigami strained against each other, the front line wavering back and forth. They glared at each other.

Ichigo was about to ask the shorter guard a question, when Kayl's voice interrupted him. "WIND."

Toshiro snarled a response. "SNOW."

"TORNADOES ARE BETTER THAN BLIZZARDS!!!" Kayl screamed

Not to be outdone: "NO THEY'RE NOT!!!" Ichigo's face beaded sweat, and he sighed, speaking again.

"They're…arguing over natural disasters?"

"Hai." Ryou's eyes never left the battle line. The winds kicked up and grabbed at the child's hair, standing it upright. He tapped his mask absently.

Ichigo spoke again. "They're idiots."

"Hai."

**(To be continued.)**

(2)

Kayl sized his opponent up and chuckled, pooping his knuckles. "You want me to do what?"

"Train me." The response was quiet and simple, like the speaker himself.

"Alright." Kayl shrugged, stepping back. "Hit Ryou with your hardest attack, hold nothing back."

The boy, without flinching, took a step forward. The muscular giant, Chad, sighed deeply, running a dark hand through his thick hair as he looked down at his opponent.

Realizing the problem, Ryou kicked off the ground and hovered above the ground, putting his chest in line with the larger man's fist. His eyes were cold behind the white, Chad noted, a faraway look dominated the unnaturally black eyes.

He cocked his left arm back, steely determination overtaking him. "La Muerte." The white fist smashed into the boy's ribs, and the guard disappeared. At the exact moment, an explosion and crater in the wall across from him showed Chad the boy's trajectory. Urahara whistled as he surveyed the damage to his walls.

Kayl grinned. "Alright, I know what the problem is!" Chad tilted his head slightly, and Kayl grinned again. "That's not what that attack is called. Knowing the name makes an attack much more powerful."

Chad blinked, surprised. "Then, what is the name?"

The taller guard waggled a finger, grinning. "I'll tell you."

(--)

The arrancar was the strongest one Chad had ever faced, and they both knew it. The giant was loosing blood from many different parts of his body. He needed to end this battle now.

Brining his left arm back, he began to gather energy into his fingers, readying the attack. The hollow came close to smiling. "Oh, a new attack?"

Chad ignored him, gathering more energy until he could no longer contain it. Then, "Falcon, PUNCH!"


	5. Accidental Alliteration

**Kayl: *Glancin' at the newly posted chapter.* Whelp... it's been a year. This is kinda pathetic. 5 bucks says the people who got the Alert were very confused. They probably didn't even remember what this was, I don't blame them. HI PEOPLE! We be back! Anyways, I, the Great and Powerful Kayl-almighty decided that it's time for a...**

_***Plot Review***_

_(-)_

_(Ch 1)_

_Two pairs of sandals, like waves, rose and fell against layers of sand, marching in perfect rhythm, showing off the casually unity of the twin shadows. The speaker of the pair shrugged off the hood of his dusted robes, letting his temporal eyes adjust to the radiant glow of the surroundings. The newborn sun rose in the east, casting long shadows which trailed their owners sullenly. The second figure kept his hood firmly over his stoic features, blocking out his face from the elements, or recognition._

_(-)  
_

_"Jiresuke-sama? It's not necessary, but our goal is to reach Seireitei immediately. They wouldn't sense us, so..." a grunt slipped past the thousands of black bodies, but the speaker was not identified over the clashing of metal and tearing of skin._

_"You just want to do some killing, don't you?"_

_"Hai, Kenzuki-taichou. Your right. BANKAI!"_

_A second voice spoke quietly, but the same word, the same promise of doom. "Bankai."_

_(Ch 2)_

_"Yamamoto requests your attendance at an all-shinigami meeting, scheduled for tomorrow morning at the captain's hall."_

_"And this involves myself…how?" Ichigo sneered at the noble coldly, heart pounding. The smell of Yuzu's cooking had evaporated, tension thickening the air instead._

_Byakuya stared at the boy coldly, his eyes on the teen's representative badge "I do not know details. It does involve however, two rouge shinigami, our Zanpakuto, and Ichimaru Gin."_

_(-)_

_"Alright then, allow me to introduce us." He began to use large hand gestures, as one would to inform a slow child. "My name is Kenzuki Kayl. Your main competition for the world's shortest person over here is Jiresuke Ryou. We're here to talk with Squad One-taichou." He paused, then blinked curiously, looking around. "Don't worry about it though, we'll be in touch, eventually. Your sou-taichou will find us when he needs to." Kayl ended his monologue and nodded to Ryou, who took a minute step into the Seireitei and released the gate. The magnificent stone slab dropped, well….like a rock and shook the ground around it. "Ryou, we're gone."_

_(-)_

_Kayl's expression lit up, and he clapped, doing a little dance. "Bingo, Ry-kun. That's my card as well. Our only other option would be to capture that Kuchiki lass and force Ichigo-kun to 'help' us."_

_Ryou sighed, closing his eyes. They sprang open again a second later. "Kayl, visitors."_

_"Oh, really now?" He laughed, completely at easy with the hostile company approaching. "One point to Yama-kun then. Ryou, let's go."_

_(Ch 3)_

_"This is the captain of Squad One, Yamamoto-sou taichou. Reporting to all officers of the Seireitei. The two ryoka Soifon-taichou encountered earlier have been apprehended. Their motives were deemed illicit and their existence a threat to our current peace. They were put to death via sword this morning, after a meeting of both the captains and the Central 46. The emergency status has been lifted, please return to your regular stations."_

_(-)  
_

_Kayl spun on his heel with an elaborate flourish, stealing Zangetsu off the substitute's as he did. Ichigo swore in shock, grasping at his blade. Kayl took the weapon in both hands, examining it. With a careless shrug, he tossed the blade upwards, much to everyone's surprise. Another shock: (my this was becoming an exiting day) a shape blurred into vision, grabbing the black cleaver in mid air as it began its earthly descent. The captains, in shock once again, turned around to confirm their prisoner was in his rightful spot. He wasn't, of course. Ryou gripped the blade by the thick grip, testing the obnoxious weight. Kayl shrugged at the captain's expressions. "Don't underestimate us." Ryou, as if in silent agreement, flipped the weapon over in his small hands, spinning the weapon by the cloth. The blade hummed as it spun in its vicious cycle, the air around it burning off from sheer reietsu._

**(And now we bring you Chapter 4**_. _**Where all of your questions are awnswered, except for the ones you asked!)**_  
_

Glancing to her side, Rukia appraised her orange-headed partner, the human boy fidgeting nervously with Zangetsu's grip, as if checking to see that the kitchen knife zanpakuto hadn't disappeared like before. Ichigo kept his gaze nervously fixed on the two rouge souls, especially the smaller male. The way the kid had handled Zangetsu earlier… Ichigo suppressed a shudder.

It was one of his newer powers, one he had not discovered until after Aizen's defeat. The idea was rather simple, it wasn't even an ability, so much as a supplement for Zangetsu's Getsuga Tenshou. It consisted of grabbing onto Zangetsu's wrap, or Tensa's chain, like he had learned from Hichigo. But, the human had taken the idea up another step. Getsuga Tenshou was powered by feeding Zangetsu his reiatsu while swinging the sword, the momentum guiding the moon fang attack. But what if the swing motion never ended? What if Zangetsu was instead spun in an infinite loop? And what if he feed the weapon more power while doing so? And thus, the 'Infinite Getsuga' was born.

The mask-donned child had stolen his Zangetsu, and had apparently worked out the Infinite Getsuga in mere seconds. _Then, _he had built upon Ichigo and Hichigo's work by combining the two moves… something neither had thought of. The kid had obviously charged a Getsuga Tenshou while he was spinning the blade, then hurled the damn thing back at the Substitute Hero, ala Hichigo's attack. Ichigo shook his head, letting out a baited breath. It had to be a coincidence, there was no way the boy could have seen Ichigo use the Getsuga, and even then… how the hell could he use Zangetsu? The carrot-topped teen had never heard of someone using another's zanpakuto... it just wasn't possible.

No, wait… the traitor Tousen! His zanpakuto wasn't his own, it had been another's. But those two had shared a close connection; he didn't even know this damn kid's name.

"…want to know?" The green haired spirit had paused in his ramblings, taking a swig from his already famous sake jug. The green haired swordsman held up a hand in surrender, grinning. Yamamotou simply raised an expectant eyebrow.

"Alright, alright I'll tell ya'." He spun his head slowly from the center of the room, eyeing each captain individually. As he turned to Toshiro, Kayl paused, cocking his head inquisitively. He cast a swift glance back at his masked partner, before continuing on down the line. Each captain met his gaze coolly, their hands on their respective zanpakuto. "Anyone here even know who the King of the Seireitei is?" He was met with a couple blank stares and an awkward silence while the captains deflated.

Kayl grinned wolfishly, shrugging. "You wanna know? I promise it'll freak you all out so bad." When no one answered, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Him." All the captains turned instinctively to the First Squad's double doors, expecting a third figure. When none appeared, their gazes shifted gradually lower until they rested on a small, blond-headed child, a pure white, plate-looking mask pressed to his face. His golden irises gazed ahead solemnly, and then swung around to meet each captain's in turn, finally lowering to the ground.

The assembled squad leaders made no sounds, their minds churning at the stunning revelation. The most powerful soul in the world, the king, their lord and master, was a mute, blond hollow?

"Now hear me out." Kayl continued, waving his hands like all hell had broken loose. "We can prove it. Ryou has an ability that no other soul can replicate." He turned to the boy, nodding once.

The boy closed his eyes, wrapping his brown cloak tightly around his body. The reiatsu in the room spiked dramatically, and then tapered off. Tossing aside the cloak, he produced a mass of flowing silver, a liquid that defied gravity. The flowing thing curled around the child, then pooled together, forming a small metallic sphere in the hollow's hand. He wrapped his hand around the orb, then squeezed, and the shining material sprang into the form of a sword, a pure silver katana.

"Zangetsu." The word was soft; the explosion was rather large. A dome of silver power enveloped the sword then vanished, leaving behind a chibi-sized Zangetsu. It was a perfect copy, down to the cloth and coloring. The boy almost looked like a younger blond Ichigo as he tested the weapon experimentally. He glanced around the room, cocking his head.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." The Zangetsu melted away, the silver fading into hundreds of flower petals that hovered dangerously around Ryou before a handful cautiously approached their original master. Byakuya watched impassively as the petals twirled about his head, then glided gently back to the child, where they re-formed into the blade.

"Fuckin' awesome." That was Kenpachi.

"Holy shit." Likewise, Ichigo.

(Later on)

"They took that bait rather well." Kayl was sprawled across his new bed, sake bottle in hand, yawning contently. He wore a fresh set of shinigami robes, a set composed of the standard colors, his moss hair dampened from a recent shower. The room was very minimalistic: two beds, a window, chairs, white walls, a bathroom, and a locked door. The pair had been tossed into residential lodgings, a stone's throw away from the first division. An all expenses paid hotel for the king and his companion. It was all they'd asked for, besides privacy.

"I s'pose." The child king mumbled, emerging from the shower room, toweling off his neck. Like his partner, blond hair clung matted to his face, his hollow colored eyes blinking away the moisture. Tossing the wet towel at his drunken friend, he glanced distastefully at the shinigami robes before slipping them on. "When do you have time to fill that damn jug anyway?" He raised an eyebrow, a small smile slipping across his face.

Kayl's expression matched his tiny companion's as he caught the towel and flung it to the room's corner. The taller guard shrugged. "You should know by now that you will never know. Like the smoke bombs. You will just never know, Ry-kun." Ryou's eye twitched; he shook his head in exasperation.

"Let's not talk about the smoke bombs, 'kay?" Kayl laughed in response, his eyes twinkling innocently. "But, nii-san?" Ryou began again, tilting his head, "Was that wise, do you think?"

Kayl's expression slipped; he frowned, shrugging. "As far as I'm concerned, they don't know your real abilities. I'm sorry for making you show off your power, but it was the only way to convince them. Plus," He let out a snort, "I got the idea from you; you were spinnin' around the kid's blade."

Ryou glanced out the window, resting his face in his hand as he curled into the bed. "I didn't think that one through," he admitted, rolling over to his other side uncomfortably. "But it was Zangetsu... ya'know? That sword is incredible. Now it's mine to study." Kayl let out a breath, folding his arms behind his head.

"So, is Tensa a good match for our Kuro-luna?"

Ryou paused at the question, his mind racing through the implications. It could mean the end of the war, the end of both wars. "Kayl-taichou, maybe. I... I really don't know. Zangetsu and the Kuro-luna together would be almost unmatched, but I'm not their true owner."

Kayl closed his eyes, smirking. "The Kuro-luna is not yours to wield? Good, so we let Gin complete the blade, then steal it from him."

The King of Seireitei paused for reflection before continuing. "The Memory Rosary, King's Seal, and the Blade of Erasure. All three pieces of the Kuro-luna have resurfaced in recent incidents involving Kurosaki Ichigo. It's like they have an attraction to him. The pieces of the Second King's blade, they're calling out to him."

A small smile stretched across Kayl's face and he sat up. "Ryou, we're combining our weapons. The three upcoming threats, Kurosaki can play the hero; he needs to grow stronger from it. He must possess our level of power before that third encounter. We have one shot. Can we do it?"

A hand ran through blond locks, eyes clouded in thought. The small boy's brain tossed thousands of possible scenarios, searching for the correct one, the safest way. After five minutes, he shook his head. "Honestly, we're screwed. It's possible…"

"Good." Kayl cut him off, chugging from his newly filled flask. "I thought you would say it's impossible. Now I know our odds are pretty damn good."

(-)

"Where's Ichimaru?"

Kayl opened an eye, squinting up at the towering orange human. Ichigo's scowl was edgy, his eyes a determined steel. He stood above the green-haired guard, arms crossed, Zangetsu slung dangerously over his back.

Kayl dropped back to his restful position, turning his gaze to the clouds above. So far, dodging responsibility by shoving it to the King, Kayl had succeeded in hiding away atop the Sokyoku Hill. He knew in his heart that he would be found, that this meeting was unavoidable. The older man raised a hand, pointing to the destroyed remains of the Sokyoku. "You made quite a mess up here, Ichi-san. The Sokyoku, as strong as a million zanpakuto, was shattered simply by Zangetsu and your will. In order for you to save the woman you love,"

"I don't..."

Kayl silenced him with a hard look. "Save it, kid. To save Rukia, you honed your power more than ever, focusing your existence into that one strike. What you did that day, that power, that's the strongest you've ever been. In that moment, your power rivaled the Second King."

The male paused lazily in thought, pointing to a cloud. "Menos Grande… Anyway, what isn't common shinigami knowledge is the royal hierarchy. There are three kings, plus other individual groupings of people. Starting at the bottom, we have the general shinigami, the lieutenants, and then the captains. The lieutenant of the first division actually has more authority than any other non-captain, and is eligible to attend captain-only meetings, unless Yamamotou decrees otherwise.

"Anyway, captains, then the sou-taichou. On par with captains are members of the Kido Corps and the Second Division Members. On the level of the sou-taichou is the Central 46, and they've been holding sway over Yama-sou for decades. Yamamoto-sou-taichou is actually the third king, by rank in the Gotei. His job is to guard the Royal Key to the Royal Dimension. There is a difference between the Royal Key and the King's Seal that you and Toushiro recovered, despite the misconceptions. Above him sits the King's Guard. There are four compass squads, all consisting of one-hundred men, all of about lieutenant level or higher. The top twenty are ranked seats; numbers twenty to three are probably stronger than a Gotei captain. The lieutenant of each squad is above the power of Yamamoto, and any of the four captains could be a match for Aizen tag-teamed with Yama-sou.

He let that sink in to a stunned Ichigo. "Above the compass captains sits the Second King, which has been a vacant spot for some time," Kayl held up a finger, "I'll come back to that. The Second King generally outclasses the power of a compass captain. His job is solely to be the direct, glued-to-the-side guard of the First King, the most powerful being in either dimension."

"Why are you here, Kayl-san? Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with Ichimaru?"

"You never ask the right questions, Ichigo." Kayl chided gently, grinning like a Cheshire. "How about: why are there all these beings so much more powerful than Yama and Aizen, why is Gin such a threat if we have these compass captains, why was your will able to pierce the Sokyoku?"

"While Ryou is the King, I am not the Second King. I'm actually the Captain of the North Squad. Ryou became Captain of the South after we found him in Hueco Mundo. I'm rambling, but like I said, the Second King gig is vacant. The King line has a long history of Excalibur-type stories, blades will appear to the next chosen for the spot. Even the First King doesn't understand this ancient process. The First controls the Murazon Blade, along with his own zanpakuto. The Third King must be chosen by his shinigami piers as the captain of the First Squad, and then accepted by the Sokyoku as a King. He does not wield the Sokyoku; no one wields that damn bird." Kayl chuckled, running a hand through green tresses. "Don't worry; you didn't actually hurt the spirit, only the sheath. It simply needs to be fixed up again before Yama kicks the bucket. Back to the Second King, he controls his own Zanpakuto, as well as the Kuro-luna." The captain chuckled bitterly, letting out a breath. "The Kuro-luna is a bitch, pain in the ass zanpakuto. She's a strong willed spirit, that's for damn sure. The Kuro-luna does not pass directly from one King to the next, like the Murazon; it does whatever it wants. After our last Second passed away, it split itself into three powerful forces. The Next Second will be decided by who can unite and control the pieces." Kayl raised an eyebrow, holding up three fingers to Kurosaki's face.

"The three pieces? The hilt of the blade is the Memory Rosary, your friend Senna."

"I _knew_ it!" Ichigo hollered, pounding his fists together. "I knew she wasn't a dream! Senna _was_ real!"

Kayl smiled lightly, nodding. "Aye, she was real. While the girl Senna you knew has passed, her soul as the Rosary lives on. The second piece, the guard, is the King's Seal, which you and Toushiro recovered for us."

Ichigo frowned, thought hard, and then paused. "Please, Kayl-san, don't say what I think you will about the third piece."

Kayl shrugged apologetically. "You're sharp. The third piece of the Kuro-luna is the Blade of Erasure. The brother and sister hollows you and Rukia-tan encountered were the split power of that blade." Kayl knew what was running through Ichigo's mind, so he took a pass on that particular conversation.

"All three pieces make up the Kuro-luna, but Kuro-chama has three unique powers, which are given to the wielder of the blade. Each piece grants a particular ability, even when separated. The Rosary grants one access to the soul of any being; the wielder can interpret the thoughts of an opponent and predict the powers of a zanpakuto, even if the blade is sealed."

"The Blade actually grants the Second King the power to bypass the cycle of life. Being killed by the Blade sends a soul to Hell, with zero chance of reincarnation. Now the most unique ability, hands down, is the King's Seal. If one can feed reiatsu rapidly into the seal, and I mean hell'a quick, the user's spirit clock stops. You can't age, you don't breath, and your blood doesn't flow. You can move and fight, but you cannot die. The exceptions obviously being a blade to the brain or decapitation. With interrupted brain waves, you can't do much, really."

"Why the hell are you telling me this?" Ichigo snarled rather rudely, raising his arms. "I don't give a flying fuck! Where. Is. Ichimaru?"

"Ichigo, I hate to tell you, but there's a lot to learn before you face off with Gin. You have powers…"

"Kayl-taichou!" Ryou sonido'ed into vision, skidding across the dirt as he stopped himself. Ichigo noted in shock that the child's voice actually contained emotions, fear chief among them. "Takeshi. He's coming!"

Kayl shot bolt upright, swearing loudly. "How soon?"

"Fifteen minutes, tops." The King grunted, yanking free his zanpakuto. The hilt, Ichigo noticed, was not the same color or shape as his Cloning Blade; Kayl had called it the Murazan. "He has the whole fuckin' caravan with him."

"Oh fuck."

**Author's Notes:**

**Heavy talking chapter, I actually cobbled this together in three days, after not writing for about a year... don't kill me. Obviously, by the ending, we have a fight on our hands. Our guard buddies are gonna have ta' do something, and we might just see some of their other abilities. I tried my best to outline my view of the King's Guard, putting my own spin on it. A bunch of Kayl's facts are useless background, but expect the Four Captains and the First two Kings to play a major role in the story, plus the Kuro-luna and the Murazon. Also, go back to chapter two. Nothing that Byakuya mentioned about the zanpakuto, and not alot about Gin has been said. There's still some heavy stuff under wraps, but the exposition is basically at a close. Its a'splosion time! Now, join me in prayer that the next chapter doesn't take forever. I have a friend who's pushed my ass along, but we'll see.  
**


	6. Killer Kings

**Long time no see! The chapters are churning out rapidly tonight, I just hope the quality doesnt suck. Please let me know one way or the other. Danke. **

**(-)**

"Fifteen minutes, Kenzuki-taichou? That's a rather shoddy estimate, considering we had arrived well before you two."

The hairs on the back of the hollow child's neck stood upright, he spun to face the voice, and then swore violently. He managed half of the curse word he had attempted, and then a bolt of charged black energy smashed violently against his masked face. The force of the attack swept the boy off of his feet; he flipped backwards through the air and landed roughly with his masked face planted to the ground. Using his elbows, he picked his head out of the dust, coughing up dirt.

"Ryou!" Kayl's voice rose, he sprang to the side, shoving Ichigo out of the way of another powerful Kido bolt. "81, Splitting Void!" Kayl lashed out a hand to initiate the kido, the air bending around its focal point until it sucked itself inwards, halting the next barrage of yellow beams; the Thunder Roar Cannon. Unfortunately, the effort was rendered futile when an even larger streak of pure gold shot past Kay's cheek, barreling into Ichigo's chest and caving in his ribs around the sternum. The shinigami legend held his ground through the fierce attack, the earth under his feet snapping apart as he was shoved backwards. Letting out a heavy, ragged breath, he positioned himself near the small King, a hand spread across his chest and the other fumbling for Zangetsu.

Kayl shunpo'ed back a step, kneeling down beside his partner. Ryou rose from the earth, his right hand clawing the space where his hollow mask had begun to disintegrate. The pure porcelain was steadily replaced by an ashen grey that soon scattered with the breeze, like the dead embers of a fire.

"Takeshi." Ryou managed between breaths, his voice murderous, eyes as sharp as the hornets they resembled. Both Ichigo and Kayl's eyes flickered up with him as the smoke cleared, observing the shapes posing nonchalantly against the shattered Sokyoku.

There were actually three warriors standing fixed in position, two males and a woman. The leader, whose hand still glowed of Kido, smiled devilishly, flexing his arm. His skin was perfectly tanned; neither a blemish nor scar, his clothing tailored to match the Royal Twin's inverse outfits. He wore the same black on white uniform, but the similarities ended there. Glittering gems were woven into the cloak's fabric, the material itself swirling ominously around the man's form. Atop his head perched a silver crown, eloquent and worth quite a large fortune, even compared to his clothing. Crystallized blue eyes cast a mocking look downward towards Ichigo and Ryou, before centering back on Kayl. Ichigo shivered, Zangetsu clenched tightly in his hand.

"Well." Takeshi's slick honey voice washed over them, his mouth splitting upwards in a disgusting triumphant smirk. "I found you. Does this mean I win our game?" He waved a hand; white particles of reiatsu fused together, until the crowned man was gripping a small white disk. "Ryou-chii, honestly? Your face has fallen asunder! Simply miserable! How can I keep you as my Southern Guard if you can't abide by the first rule?" He tossed the object at the boy, who caught it, scowling.

Ichigo took a glance at the object, his eyes expanding with a curious and surreal shock. What the King clenched tightly was a small white mask, an exact replica of his shattered one. The eyeholes were pressed closely together, a larger nosepiece jutted from between them, snout-like. The nostrils were flared out angrily, and the jutting row of pointed canines in the mouth backed the sentiment. 'It's a dragon.' Ichigo had obviously noted the mask every other time he had seen the hollow boy, but it had finally occurred to him that the mask was connected to the boy's name. His name was spelt Ryou, but was pronounced exactly like Ryu, which meant Dragon. 'Even his cloak's got a dragon.' The carrot-topped representative noted. 'The kid's obsessed with them.'

The ashen smoke had all but faded away, and Ryou's humanoid features were left naked; glaring hatefully at his second face. The boy's hand folded closed around it, a small bolt of electricity racing through the mask, and it evaporated like steam. "We're done with you, False One." The child intoned, rising to his feet. He was definitely human under the mask, pale skin, sharp features. His eyes flashed for a moment, a tint of cold blue, before they hollow-fied again, his anger spiking his reiatsu sharply. "We have the real King, and I will be there to see him claim your life. May your second death be slow, and may your soul only experience eternal Hell." He whipped his head to the side, catching both Ichigo and Kayl with his glare. "Move, Kayl! Get out, now!"

Kayl's emerald eyes darkened as they flicked over to Ichigo's stunned features; then glanced back to his partner. Within a blink, Kayl had knocked Ichigo unconscious and fled. His reiatsu signature increased dramatically as he escaped, then vanished altogether into nothingness.

Takeshi glanced irritably in the North Guard's direction of travel, but snorted, keeping his hands folded behind his back. "Well, what do you plan to do now, Numero Cero? You are alone once again, a thrown out, worthless creation."

"I am not Espada Cero." Ryou snarled, his fingers reaching absently for his chest, pressing his hand against the material on his sternum, shielding it. "I am no longer his puppet, nor am I yours, False One."

"You have found a new master then, Error?" Ryou flinched. "You were born of false flesh, your existence defies all creeds, and _you_ claim justice over _me_?" The False One laughed coldly. "Get back in line, South Captain."

"I am not your puppet. I am me, Kenzuki Ryou! Don't you forget that, Takeshi." The child hollow's voice was frigid, but the icy calm was offset by his sword being pulled viciously from its imprisoning sheath.

"Kyo-taichou. Honoka-taichou. See to the problem, would you two be so kind?" He turned and waved his hand. His two companions glanced at the hollow child, drawing swords.

"Don't struggle, Ry-kun." The woman, Honoka Ami, stated quietly, mouth drawn thin. Her cute face was marred by that uncertain stare, dulling the bright pink hair clinging to her cheeks. She and her partner pulled swords free, shunpo-ing towards him simultaneously. The boy's weapon pulsed once; he twisted the metal to catch both opposing swords against his own steel blade. "Would you two like to see half of Error? Half of the reason I shouldn't exist. I'll bet you're curious to see why a small kid was made the South Captain, Lead Guard of the Assault Squad." He grinned wickedly, exposing canines sharper than his mask's.

"Rage beneath this Frost-chilled Earth, Reito oni ga kasu."

(-)

"We're kinda outta options, Urahara-san." Kayl sat cross-legged inside the ex-captain's vacant store, his steaming vanilla-scented tea untouched on the table. Resting beside the cup was a well-worn leather bound jug. Kayl picked it up absently and swirled the contents, his green eyes fixed across the table.

The tattered blond male across the table sipped his own tea slowly, shadowy eyes focused on his guest. His black cloak hung draped across his shoulders, Benihime rest lovingly in the crook of his arm. "Jiresuke-san, quite frankly, I knew you were in a spot of trouble the moment you walked through my door." The man tipped his hat, smirking. "It's hardly surprising, given your reputation, Kayl."

Kayl let out a grunt of agreement, and Urahara continued. "But let's start with what I need to know right this moment. Why is Ichigo unconscious? Have you located the Murazon? And where is the Reflection Espada, ex-Numero Cero?"

Kayl flinched at the last words, fiddling with the strap of his jug, his eyes downcast. "The first question is the easiest to answer. At his current level, Ichigo cannot shunpo fast enough to escape Takeshi, let alone the other guard captains."

Urahara raised a curious brow. "Annnnd….?"

Kayl snorted, letting out a breath. "Ryou's mask got blasted away during the scuffle. Ichigo …kinda-sorta saw underneath it."

"You're hoping he thought that part was a dream?" The store-owner chuckled delightedly, draining his cup.

Kayl grimaced. "Praying, hoping, memory wiping. Whatever works best, I s'pose."

"That truth needs to be settled soon, you realize."

"Hey," Kayl argued back. "How the kid handles his problems really _isn't_ my concern."

"I wasn't referring to Ryou-kun." He paused, tapping a finger against the table "If I were you, I would get Ichigo up to speed on _everything _as soon as possible. Now then… the Murazon?"

Kayl nodded, grinning slightly behind the sake jug. "I… acquired it back. That's one problem taken care of, at least. As for your last question…. I assume he's been defeated, Ryou is probably being held back in the Royal Dimension."

"Or dead?" Kisuke asked bluntly, closing his eyes and letting out a soft breath.

Kayl shrugged. "I guess that's a possibility. But I have doubts about that. Do I have permission to use your training grounds?"

Urahara shrugged. "Whatever pleases you, Captain North. Just try not to kill him." The older man paused, drawing his cloak around him. "Am I correct in assuming what you want to teach him?"

Kayl nodded, rising silently. "You would assume correctly."

"Oh goodie!" Urahara exclaimed sarcastically. "Do I win a prize?"

(-)

"Look, I'm sorry for beating you over the head, ok? Jeeze, man." Kayl called over his shoulder, eyes crossed in annoyance. Taking a slow walk aimlessly through the training grounds, Kayl pressed his thumb against his temple, letting out an exaggerated breath.

"Shut up, you hit like my dad anyway." Ichigo grumbled, following closely behind the guard. "Now, will you tell me what the hell is going on, or can I just beat it out of you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Kayl asked, mock curiosity bubbling in his voice.

"Well, who the hell were they? What did they want? Why the bloody _hell _did you knock me out like that?"

"Ryou bought us time to get away." Kayl explained tersely, removing his zanpakuto from the folds of his dirty brown cloak and set it beside him. "Those people would have killed you, had we given them the chance. They would have killed us, as well."

"Well, if the three of them were that damn strong, Jiresuke is long dead then, you idiot. The King is dead. What part of that seemed like a good idea?" Ichigo was yelling now, his fist slamming heavily into a nearby stone, which cracked and shattered into dust particles.

"Kenzuki Ryou is his name, Kurosaki Ichigo." Kayl's words were light and patient. "Kenzuki. Not Jiresuke. That would be my family name."

Ichigo's retort died in his throat, his eyes widened. "You…what the… what are you talking about. Isn't he the King…?"

"Nope." Kayl cut him off, twisting around his zanpakuto. "He wasn't. That was a diversion, a ruse. We changed our names; couldn't risk my identity being compromised. I wasn't sure, initially, how much of the History the Nobler Families had recorded, how much they remembered. I couldn't risk them recognizing the surname, but I had to make them believe that the King had fled the Royal Dimension."

"The King." This was Ichigo. "Who was that man then, wearing the crown? Ryou called him the… wait a freakin' minute! About Jir…err…Kenzuki-san!"

"Ichigo," Kayl barked, sensing the question, "don't think about it. There are more important thin.."

"Kayl," The substitute roared with equal ferocity. "Who the hell is that kid? Under that mask, he loo.."

"Damn it, Kurosaki, shut the hell up, right now!"

"It was Toushiro." Ichigo finished heavily, his words reduced to a dying whisper, amber gazed fixed on the green-haired Captain. "Besides the blond hair, Ryou looked exactly like Hitsugaya Toushiro."

(-)

"Bless you, Hitsugaya-taichou." Kyoraku adjusted the brim of his hat, nodding to the shortest captain. The white-haired child in question sniffed quickly, shook his head clear, and nodded thankfully.

Yamamoto's tilted head readjusted itself to gaze blankly ahead of him. "It seems we have been deceived once again." His voice was solemn. "The question, it seems, is which story is the truth. It is vital that we correctly identify the heir of the Royal Kingdom, and assist in the apprehension the traitor."

Byakuya's hawk-like eyes snapped upwards, boring holes through the Captain Commander. "Sou-taichou." His cold voice remained respectful, even if he himself was caught in a dilemma. "Your current status is the Third King of the Seireitei, correct? Surely you yourself could identify the Heir and the imposter?"

Yamamoto shook his head slowly, closing his weary old eyes. "It is not that simple, Kuchiki-taichou. Even as the Third King, I rank far below the gentry-class of the Royal Dimension. They are not obligated to acknowledge anything we do, except the appointment of the new Third King. The maintenance of Hueco Mundo, the Seireitei and the Human World falls on both the Central 46 and myself."

"Then who was there when you were appointed the Third King?" Soi-Fon questioned in as polite of a tone as she could manage. Every captain knew that the two ryoka, who had vanished like they had arrived, were good bets to receive the execution sentence. The Hollow Boy's power had simply not convinced Yamamoto as much as Takeshi-sama's presence. The man reeked of nobility, and his reiatsu was strong enough to subjugate the younger captains effortlessly.

Plus, who wanted to acknowledge a Hollow as the ruler of the Seireitei? Any sane shinigami would side with the pure-breed nobleman over the scrawny, anti-social, animalistic Hollow-boy. _  
_

Yamamoto's eyes creased further, if that was possible, as he leaned forward in his chair. "Myself, the previous Second King, and the Sokyoku blade. I have no way of knowing which man is the true king."

Byakuya spoke up, his cold voice doing nothing to ease the rising tensions. "The Kuchiki Family has researched both the Takeshi and Jiresuke names. Both families have very close ties to the Royal Seat, there is no sure way for our scholars to determine the name of the current King."

"The King's supposed ta' be the strongest guy around, right?" Kenpachi asked bluntly, silencing the other Captains. "Then we just get these two ta' fight, right? The stronger one is the real guy, and the other one gets punished by being killed. Simple." The big man paused, before he spoke again. "Course, that would be a hell'a good fight to jump in on. These to must be real strong, I dunno why the kid's running away from this…"

Sweat beads rained from the other captains, but by the end of the day, his proposal still seemed to be the best idea the Gotei had come up with.


End file.
